Almost exactly 75 years ago, on August 18, 1943, the USS Abner Read was rocked by a severe explosion.
The blast — which most historians say was likely a Japanese mine — tore the 75-foot stern section of the ship clean off. The stern plummeted to the depths of the ocean, taking the lives of 71 US sailors with it, while other US ships rushed to the rescue.
Though the rest of the USS Abner Read was miraculously saved and towed into port, the original stern was thought to be lost forever — until now.
On July 17, a team of scientists, divers, and archaeologists partially funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration discovered the missing section of the ship in just under 300 feet of water off the coast of Kiska Island, a part of Alaska's remote Aleutian Islands chain.
Here's what the expedition to discover the long-lost wreck was like.
The Aleutian Islands campaign was one of the few major World War II battles fought on US soil. But the area's place in WWII history is often forgotten, perhaps because the islands are remote, cold, and difficult to get to. That's part of the reason the Abner Read lay undiscovered for decades.
In June 1942, Japanese forces took over and occupied a pair of remote Aleutian islands: Kiska and Attu.
American forces quickly called in a number of battleships, including the USS Abner Read, as well as heavy air power to repel the Japanese invasion.
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